stories from the February 2018 issue of FRESH
VISITORS: Jan-Feb 2018
Visitors from South Africa, the Netherlands, USA, Korea, India and Taiwan were introduced to WorldVeg activities.
WorldVeg takes the chili challenge!
WorldVeg takes the chili challenge!
Hot or not? Only a taste […]
Scientist – Vegetable Physiology
Dr. Tae-Cheol Seo, a research scientist with the Vegetable Research Division of the National Institute of Horticultural & Herbal Science (NIHHS), Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea, studies the physiology of vegetable crops, in particular, Capsicum spp.—an important crop in Korea. Dr. Seo has been seconded to WorldVeg from the NIHHS for a term of two years (2018-2020) to evaluate and select pepper genetic resources tolerant to heat and waterlogging. He previously held a research position with the NIHHS Protected Horticulture Experimental Station.
Project Marketing Officer
Hussein (Henry) Mvungi is working as a Project Marketing Officer with the WorldVeg team in Eastern and Southern Africa, Arusha, Tanzania through September 2018. He has an MSc in agricultural economics and focuses on marketing, statistics and socioeconomics.
Production Horticulturist
Dr. Wolfram Spreer joined WorldVeg on 22 January 2018 as Production Horticulturist in the South Asia Regional Office, Hyderabad, India. His appointment is co-funded though GIZ’s CIM Integrated Experts Program. He holds a PhD in agricultural sciences from the University of Stuttgart-Hohenheim, Germany, and has extensive experience with irrigation technologies for tropical and subtropical fruits and vegetables.
Can it get any better than this? Improving amaranth at WorldVeg
Nutritious and easy to grow, amaranth is a healthy and profitable crop for small-scale farmers.
Visiting the World Vegetable Center’s newest office
Partners and donors are beginning to take notice of WorldVeg West and Central Africa – Coastal & Humid Regions in Cotonou, Benin.
WorldVeg activities in Cameroon attract the interest of neighboring countries
The experience of WorldVeg in Cameroon has sparked interest for an initiative to build seed systems in the Central African Republic.
WorldVeg parentage in high-yielding, triple-disease resistant ‘Arka Rakshak’ tomato
Tomato is India’s second most important vegetable crop, next to potato. And now ‘Arka Rakshak’, a new F1 fresh market and processing tomato hybrid with resistance to three major tomato diseases, is available for farmers eager to supply India’s growing demand. The variety was developed by the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research (IIHR) by crossing one of their advanced breeding lines with an advanced breeding line sourced from the World Vegetable Center. Tomato leaf curl virus, bacterial wilt and early blight are among the most difficult tomato diseases to manage as there are no chemical treatments available to stop their spread. Building resistance into a variety is the most effective -- and cost-effective -- approach to tomato disease management. ‘Arka Rakshak’ produces medium to large (80-100 g), deep red, very firm fruits with good keeping quality (15-20 days) and transportability. Farmers can expect yields of 90-100 t/ha. WorldVeg provides the important breeding materials partners need to produce vigorous, pest-and disease-resistant varieties with tolerance to heat, drought, flooding and other environmental conditions farmers typically encounter in the field. Congratulations to IIHR!
WorldVeg identifies training needs of the seed industry in India
Plant breeders from across the subcontinent who want to keep up with advancements in the discipline shared their training needs with WorldVeg.